I am a fully qualified secondary school teacher, with over 10 years experience. I have consistently been rated an ‘Outstanding lead subject teacher with an extensive subject knowledge and a passion for Psychology'. In addition I have now been tutoring on-line through Spires for nearly two years (250+ hours) working with both A level and IB students. Meticulous lesson planning and organisation of schemes of work and resources are paramount in my teaching. I have high expectations of all students and see my key strength in being able to impart confidence in them and their abilities. Previously I have achieved amongst the best A Level results in a very able Grammar school, for a major subject: in 2018: 56% A*/A grades and achieving a 100% pass rate in all 5 years at the school. I am very proud at having inspired over 50 students, to go on to study psychology/psychology-based courses at University.
Karen's last completed GCSE Psychology job with Meena: Intensive - My daughter is homeschooled and has no previous knowledge in Psychology and would like to do an intensive course between Jan 2021 and take exam in May 2021. If this is something you can help with, please get in touch.
I have been teaching & tutoring Psychology, Research Methods & Academic writing (essays and reports) for over 7 years now to students of all ages whether mature students at undergraduate level & masters level; part time & full time students or seminar based and 1-1. This includes the joint UCL-Birkbeck Masters course for Critical Analysis which is a high level, rigorous module that develops the student's understanding in how to critique journal articles, how to remedy their shortcomings and writing future research or research proposals. I have also taught academic writing workshops, general foundations and was an honorary research fellow after graduating which led to the publication of my undergraduate dissertation.
Having trained as an outstanding A-level Psychology teacher with UCL (IOE) I can offer in depth exam technique for the new linear specification as I have worked closely with examiners & key authors of textbooks. I also offer assistance for writing structure, exam technique across degree and A-level.
I pride myself in the quality of working relationship quickly developed with students of all ages. Whether reaching for examination confidence, mastery of subject content or skills, or progress with emotional, behavioural or cognitive needs, all tutees should expect teaching that is entirely personalised and constantly adaptive to their evolving learning, including:
- guidance for pupils toward understanding and pride in all supported subject disciplines, while troubleshooting all associated challenges, from frustrations with phonics to maths anxiety, from the art of the essay to that of examination-timing and from Alternative Vote in politics to ‘alternative conceptualisations’ in chemistry;
- mentoring or life-skill teaching: identifying and fostering scholastic and general skills beyond those specific to particular academic subjects yet required for flourishing within educationally related outcomes generally;
- support for atypical educational needs. Teaching in this area is important to me, and I am currently extending my training with additional part-time postgraduate studies. Inwardly, special-needs are never what I see; what I see are special opportunities: exciting opportunities. My teaching teaches for exciting futures, not needful ones.
My aim is for each of my students to discover the tools, skills and conviction to achieve all the outcomes of their and of their parents’ hopes. I want my students to discover what they can do and to inspire themselves by what they find.
I have been teaching Psychology for 18 years. I have taught in both schools and standalone sixth form colleges. I have been an assistant Head of Department for a very large Psychology Department and I have also been a Head of Department in a school. My Psychology students have achieved marks well above the national standard. I am also an examiner for AQA Psychology. This has given me expert knowledge of exactly how to interpret and answer questions in order to gain full marks. I have taught AS, A2 and GCSE Psychology for AQA. I have also been a private tutor for the last two years along side my full time job. The student's i have worked with achieved seemed to enjoy the sessions and all have had fantastic examination results.
I have 4 years of experience working as a student ambassador for the Cambridge Admissions Office. Through this role I have participated in several residential summer schools, assisting students with academic sessions in Psychology by ensuring that the students understood the material that was being covered in the lectures. I have also assisted during subject masterclasses in a variety of subjects, as well as giving presentations and providing advice on the university admission process. This has allowed me to remain up to date with the latest entrance requirements, as well as gain a first-hand look at the qualities that admission teams look for in a prospective student. I have also led sessions in my old school on writing a good personal statement and preparing for university interviews. In addition, I privately tutored friends in my spare time at university, both in Biology and Psychology, which allowed me to explore different ways of teaching and explaining complex ideas in easy-to-digest terms.
I have been tutoring for over 3 years now and mentoring for over 4 years.
My experience is tutoring A level Psychology and Sociology and I know the AQA Syllabus really well. This means I can provide you with expert knowledge and help.
Through my experience I know that for Psychology areas a lot of students struggle with is the 16 mark questions and research methods. Similarly for Sociology the bigger essay style questions are also a top area of concern. I ensure that all my students are confident with these areas to help them improve their grades and feel at ease when doing exams.
I also know the importance of revision skills and techniques which I help students develop. I use a variety of collaborative methods to help students learn and be motivated to enjoy the subject and our lessons.
When students are working with me they say how clear they feel after a lesson, how confident they feel going into exams and how much they find writing 16 mark essays now enjoyable.
Having tutored face to face I am confident using online technology which makes the student feel comfortable and at ease. I use a mix of powerpoints, quizzes, questions and answers, flashcards, ted talks, podcasts, youtube videos to help my students learn. I also fundamentally believe that no one student learns the same. So I always ensure to set specific goals for each individual and adapt my lesson to suit them and their learning style.
Sarah's last completed GCSE Psychology job with Meena: Intensive - My daughter is homeschooled and has no previous knowledge in Psychology and would like to do an intensive course between Jan 2021 and take exam in May 2021. If this is something you can help with, please get in touch.
I have worked as a professional tutor and educational consultant for six years. I have taught dozens of students for thousands of hours in total. I have also worked as a teacher in an independent school in North London.
I have had many successful students; a few examples include:
>Three admitted to study HSPS at Cambridge.
>One admitted to all three of Westminster, Winchester, and St.Paul's for 13+.
>One who gained 84/84 marks in his A-Level Politics Paper 2, which is now being used as an exemplar.
>One who gained an A in A-Level History after being predicted a C.
I believe that the most important virtue in a tutor is the ability to empathise with a student's cognitive position. When teaching I aim to guide a student through the mental steps needed to accomplish the goal of the lesson.
I typically spend much of a lesson in dialogue with the student. I break this up with exercises to embed and reinforce key points, but I always end the lesson with a call to reflection on what the student has learned. I emphasise that knowledge is open-ended and interconnected.
I specialise in three key areas; the tutoring of primary school students, offering help with SATs, homework and entrance exams. Secondly, the tutoring of undergraduates studying education and psychology. Finally, English Literature tutoring across the board; from primary through to degree level.
As an education graduate, I am a keen learner and continue to develop my studies in many areas. I am now beginning a masters programme here at Cambridge. I have younger siblings in various stages of their education, with two younger sisters in primary school and one younger brother currently studying for his A Levels, so I know just how stressful and important this time can be.
I can also offer interview prep for Cambridge applicants, as well as support in completing applications.
"The learning exercises were always set around my interest areas, making tuition both fun and effective. Following my sessions with Andrew, I have developed a more concise way of communicating. My writing now has more flow, which helps me say what I need to say." - Neil , Newtownabbey
I'm passionate about nurturing the potential of each student with whom I have the privilege of working. With over 10 years' experience as a Learning Coach with countless individuals and groups, Diploma in Life Coaching as well as a successful university graduate (1st class hons in Philosophy) and additional Masters research degree in Developmental Psychology, I previously taught at Secondary school and most recently trained nursing professionals to pass their IELTS exams.
I am also a regular public speaker and workshop leader in the private health sector, delivering courses in areas from stress-management and communication skills, to self-care and personal development.
I have had 11 years of teaching experience which has included comprehensive school teaching, and tutorial college education.
